We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience on our website. You can find out about our cookies and how to disable cookies in our Privacy Policy. If you continue to use this website without disabling cookies, we will assume you are happy to receive them. Close.

Reinforced concrete pads should be designed so that the depth is sufficient to resist a shear force known as ‘punching shear’. This can develop around the perimeter of the column, wall or other vertical component that the pad is supporting. Bending can also occur as the pad footing spreads the load onto the stratum.

e = eccentricity of the applied axial load taken at the centre of the bearing.

Uplift can occur if the applied force lies outside the middle third of the base. What this means is that where the applied forces are greater than, and acting in the opposite direction to, the self-weight of the pad, it can cause the pad to lift. The equation for calculating the value of the applied bearing stress on the soil is as follows: